Saint Joseph's Seminary & College
Statement of Institutional Effectiveness
The Board of Trustees, Administration, and Faculty of Saint Joseph’s Seminary and College (SJS) are dedicated to the fulfillment of the SJS Mission Statement, and to providing all of its students with the services and resources needed to graduate on time and to achieve the Intended Student Learning Outcomes for their respective degree programs.
STUDENTS
The students who attend SJS fall into a number of categories:
Major Seminarians who are studying for the Priesthood
Candidates for Ordination to the Permanent Diaconate
Graduate students in Philosophy (many of whom are preparing for entrance into the Major Seminary)
Graduate student in Theology, including lay men and women, ordained clergy, and men and women in consecrated life who wish to study Theology for a wide variety of ministerial, professional and personal reasons.
PROGRAMS
SJS offers the following programs:
Master of Divinity (MDiv – for major seminarians at the main campus in Yonkers)
Master of Arts in Theology (MATheo – offered online and at the Yonkers, Huntington, and Douglaston locations)
Master of Arts in Catholic Philosophical Studies (MACPS – offered at the Douglaston location)
Additionally, we offer three graduate certificates:
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Theology (NEW for Fall 2021, offered online and at the Yonkers, Douglaston, and Huntington locations)
Post Master’s Certificate in Dogmatic Theology (offered online and at the Yonkers, and Huntington locations)
Post-Master’s Certificate in Sacred Scripture (offered online and at the Yonkers and Huntington locations)
Program Length
Masters of Divinity – Saint Joseph’s Seminary has been offering the
MDiv program to seminarians in priestly formation since 1961. Seminarians in the program typically complete their academic coursework in four years, with one additional fifth year of pastoral work - although extensions can be granted for various reasons. During these five years, seminarians concurrently earn their Bachelor of Sacred Theology (STB) from the University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome.
Master of Arts in Theology – The MATheo program has been offered since 1987 and, until 2012, was completed within one year by seminarians pursuing this degree. With the 2012 Inter-diocesan partnership, the expansion of the Seminary’s Mission and subsequent curriculum revisions in 2013, students pursuing the MATheo degree generally finish within four years, although they have up to six years to complete the program.
Master of Arts in Catholic Philosophical Studies – The Seminary began offering the MACPS Program in 2013 and students typically finish the degree within two years, although they are allowed up to six years to complete their studies.
MDiv (100% Vocational Placement) – All of the seminarians who completed their MDiv at Saint Joseph’s Seminary between 2009 and 2020 have been ordained as Catholic Priests and serve in their own local Dioceses, Eparchies or Religious Communities.
MACPS (100% Vocational Placement) – graduates who continued study entered the Major Seminary.
MATheo (83% Vocational Placement) – Students in the MATheo program pursue the degree for various ministerial, personal and professional reasons. Data excludes students with unknown status: